Shopping bag structure



April 17, 1934 w. H. DEU'BENER 1,955,538

SHOPP ING BAG STRUCTURE Filed D ec. 21, 1932 INVENTOR. a Wm T51? @SUBE/v5?.

ATTORNEY Patented pr. 17, 1934 UlTED STATES PATENT FFCE Application December 2 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a paper shopping bag. The chief object of this invention is to provide handle means associated with a cord universally embodied with a paper shopping bag for forming carrying loops and which may be arranged to support the load and for reenforcing the bag, although the latter method of support need not necessarily be employed.

The chief feature of the invention consists in 1G the provision of a tubular handle that may be slidably associated with each of the loops and which handles are not rigid but which are flexible so as to readily curve to the hand conformation and which are so arranged that they will overlap and thus form a multiple thickness handle of curved formation as will appear more fully hereinafter.

A rigid tubular handle slidably mounted upon a paper or twine loop has been used for more than ten years, but it has objections in that the rigidity of the handle grip will cause the loop to wear and more particularly when said loop is of the paper type rather than of the ordinary vegetable ber type.

When two rigid handles are used, either rigidly or slidably mounted upon the loop portions, they have two disadvantages-one, that they will form too much of a gripping portion and, therefore, form an unwieldy handle and in addition thereto, because of their rigidity, they, when carried in the hand, bear heaviest upon the second and third fingers and substantially none of the weight is supported by the first and fourth fingers. The second objection is that pinching of a portion of the ringer or fingers may occur due to the clamping pressure cf the hand that surrounds the two relatively rigid handles when the load in the bag is heavy.

Another disadvantage that is substantially the equivalent of the first mentioned, is that when the shopping bag is carried on the arm, the rigid handles constitute equivalent sharp edge supports that bear upon the arm and thus cause an undue localized pressure and not a distributed pressure upon the arm.

The chief advantage of the present invention is that every advantage of the auxiliary handle structure is obtained and none of the disadvantages are obtained.

A still further feature of the invention is that these handle members may be provided at a cost that is very materially less than those wherein the handle structure is of a rigid character.

Other features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:-

In the drawing, Fig. l is a perspective view of a shopping bag embodying the invention and of 1, 1932, Serial No. 648,272

the type previously mentioned. The invention, however, may be applied with equal facility to the form of a bag shown in the prior Patent No. 1,805,810, dated May 19, 1931.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section through the handle and loop construction when associated together for carrying purposes as a single grip handle.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the handle construction when associated together.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the handle construction and the dotted lines indicate a iinger or hand support, while the dot and dash lines indicate the arm support arrangement therefor.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a strip of paper after having been scored and preliminary to folding and forming into a tube.

Fig. 6 represents the second step of the formation of the tubular handle.

Fig. '7 represents the third step and if desired the initial completion of the handle.

Fig. 8 is similar to the aforesaid and illustrates the intermediate subsequent formation of the handle when desired.

Fig. 9 represents a subsequent elective step in the formation which is that preliminary to separation into the desired length of grip.

Fig. 10 illustrates the temporary deformation of the individual grip preliminary to the reception of the cord or loop.

Fig. ll is a diagrammatic elevational View of a form of mechanism suitable for forming the handle grip.

In the drawing l0 represents a conventional paper bag which includes a bottom ll and an upper hem 12. A plurality of apertures 13 are provided in the hem and extending through the apertures at each opposite side of the bag are the cords forming a loep 14 upon which is mounted a handle or hand grip l5. This cord means preferably is of twisted paper stock. It may be of twine.

The hand grip 15 is of flexible character and of paper. As shown it is of tubular character and is relatively flexible, although it has some rigidity.

Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive show the formation of the handle.

Fig. 11 illustrates a suitable form of mechanism for forming the handle. In Fig. 11, indicates a roll support, 21 a roll of paper stock of the desired width from which is drawn a strip 22 that passes through operating mechanism 23 and which, upon completion yof the operation, passes between cutting rolls 24 having knives 25 which sever the strip into several grips.

In Fig. 5, the strip 22 is shown provided with creases' or scorings 26 suitably positioned therein.

Fig. 6 shows an intermediate step wherein one portion of the strip 27 has been folded over at one scoring 26 and the other end 28 has been folded upwardly at another scoring 26. The portion 27 has applied thereto a ribbon of adhesive 29 so that when the end 28 is folded down, as shown in Fig. 7, the two ends 28 and 27 overlap to form a tubular strip. If desired, this may constitute the formation of the grip and upon severance by the knives 25, the grips will be of this character.

Further operation, however, may take place and this is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In Fig. 8 when further operation is desired, the steps shown in Figs. 8 and 9 are employed. Fig. 8 shows that the strip has been mechanically compressed in the direction at right angles to the previous fold and then it is flattened in that position-see Fig. 9. The strip may then be severed as shown in Fig. l1 and each individual strip may then be compressed between the fingers of the operator to open the tubular arrangement as shown in Fig. 10 to permit the ready insertion of the cord or twine of the loop. As stated before, the steps 8 and 9 may be omitted. However, when omitted, there will be more K resistance in the tubular structure shown in Fig.

'I to deform manually into the form shown in Fig. 10 which form should be obtained to permit the ready insertion of the paper cord or twine n forming the loop of the bag. Also, if desired, it

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is to be noted the scorings 26 need not be provided but if considerable heavy stock of paper is employed, these scorings will materially facilitate the folding and the opening of the flattened tube into tubular formation.

As shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, two opposite scorings 26 provide a seat for the cord and materially assist in insuring that the cord will seat centrally in the flattened tube when the latter is mounted thereon. It is to be understood that the relatively flattened tubes may be slidable on the cord or twine 14. As shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the tubes are relatively ilexible and will conform to an arch corresponding to the hand grip or the arm support. This arch is directed longitudinally of the grip.

As shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, the two grips when brought together for single hand holding of the loaded bag, will associate themselves so that substantially one-half of one grip will overlap the other grip. This overlapping forms a double thickness of handle grip and the two outer halves of the two overlapping grips will be curved upwardly, as indicated at 40, in Fig. 2, and as indicated in Fig. 3, the ends of the grips will diverge as at 50 when the bag is filled.

The aforesaid handle structure, it will be apparent, is relatively simple to construct, is relatively cheap to manufacture and serves every purpose and has every advantage of the so-called rigid handle grip construction heretofore ernployed and which may be slidably or flxedly associated with the loop of the shopping bag.

The present invention, as before stated, has the further advantages that relatively ilat surfaces are provided for carrying upon the arm, thereby eliminating cutting of the arm, because the relatively flat tubes not only distribute the weight across the width of the flattened tube but also by reason of the flexibility in the tube the weight carried by the cord is distributed longitudinally on the flattened tube.

Also, as before mentioned, when the handles are associated together, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, there is no possibility of pinching of a portion of the lingers between the two grips.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4 and also as shown in Fig. 2, the multiple handle structure will conform to the arch of the ngers for carrying and will also curve in a transverse directionsee Fig. 2 at 40-which is a direction transverse to the aforesaid longitudinal curvature shown in Fig. 4.

The resultant construction, therefore, is a handle grip which offers every advantage of a handle structure and which is adapted to fully conform to the support for the bag and which does not include any of the disadvantages before mentioned that are inherent in a handle structure of the so-called rigid type.

The present invention, by reason of the conforming ability of the handle does not provide a sharp edge where the cord leaves the handle and, therefore, under heavy loads or after a relatively long use, there is, with the present invention, but little tendency for the cord to wear, which is ever present with shopping bags embodying cord loops and rigid handles and the failures occur, which result in the dropping of the bag and its contents, by reason of the wearing out of the cord where it leaves the handle.

It will also be observed that by reason of the flat tubular arrangement that when the hand grip is slidably mounted on the cord, neither of the two grips can roll relative to the cord or each other. This is a further prevention against pinching of the fingers or arm.

The invention claimed is:-

1. In a shopping bag, the combination with cord means arranged to support the bag and provide two loops upon opposite sides of the bag and at the mouth thereof, of a handle structure for each loop comprising a relatively flexible flattened tubular grip formed from a single thin sheet in tube formation and substantially free from an appreciably thick projecting longitudinal edge and through which the loop slidably extends for forming a curved grip when engaged by the hand or arm, said handle structures when gripped in one hand flexing to the curvature thereof and being adapted to overlap to form a substantially single curved handle grip.

2. In a shopping bag, the combination with paper cord means arranged to support the bag and provide two loops upon opposite sides of the bag at the mouth thereof, of a handle structure for each loop comprising a relatively flexible flattened tubular grip, the interior of which is creased on opposite sides and approximately midway between the side edges thereof for centrally seating the cord means which slidably extends therethrough, said flattened tubular grip forming a curved grip when engaged by the hand or arm, said structures when gripped in one hand overlapping to form a substantially single curved handle grip.

3. In a shopping bag, the combination with cord means arranged to support the bag and provide two loops upon opposite sides of the bag and at the mouth thereof, of a handle structure for each loop comprising a relatively flexible flattened tubular grip formed from a single thin sheet in tube formation and substantially free from an appreciably thick projecting longitudinal edge and nesting the loop for forming a curved grip when engaged by the hand or arm, said handle structures when gripped in one hand flexing to the curvature thereof and being adapted to overlap to form a substantially single curved handle grip.

WALTER H. DEUBENER. 

